


Everywhere Else It’s Just Tuesday

by starlight_and_seafire



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Mardi Gras, Modern AU, POV Poe Dameron
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-11-12 15:38:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18013598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlight_and_seafire/pseuds/starlight_and_seafire
Summary: It might have been Mardi Gras Day to some, and to everyone else it was just Tuesday, but for him, it was something much more.





	Everywhere Else It’s Just Tuesday

“Throw me something, mister!”

“Over here, over here!”

Poe looks down at the screaming crowds lining the streets as the float he was riding on moved through town. He takes another sip of his beer and shakes his hips to the music that flowed from the loudspeakers, grinning at the waving arms and enthusiastic shouts that filled the air. He sees a little kid sitting on their father’s shoulders just ahead, and reaches behind him to grab a stuffed animal, passing it into their outstretched hands as they rolled by and earning himself an enthusiastic whoop of glee from the child.

Next to him, his buddy Snap, dressed in an astronaut’s space suit, grabs a plastic rose and hands it down to a lovely woman with a shock of spiky blonde hair framing her face, earning himself a small bottle of tequila and an air kiss.

“See you at home, babe!” He shouts down to the woman, blowing her a kiss in return. He then quickly screws the cap open, takes a shot, and passes it to Poe, who promptly takes a large swig.

Poe screws his face up at the burn of alcohol, before lifting the bottle in a toast. “My compliments to Karé," he says, and passes the bottle back to Snap.

Poe was grateful for the slight burn of alcohol warming up his insides. Despite the warmth his pilot’s costume provided, the air was chilly on this Mardi Gras day, and a strong breeze was blowing. He was on the bottom tier of the float, and for the most part stood in the shade as the float rolled along. He really couldn’t care less though, as he was too filled with all the fun and frivolity that the day brings (and more than a little king cake and beer).

A crowd of people up ahead were taking pictures of the float as it approached, and he and Snap both strike a post even as he can’t help but grin. He had taken more than a few pictures of the float when they were lining up for the parade this morning. It was his favorite of all the floats he’s ever ridden on before, space themed with a giant astronaut’s helmet up front, and painted spaceships and stars and planets along the sides. Growing up, he had always dreamed of being an astronaut, and once he was old enough to enlist, he joined the Air Force, serving until an injury led him to an early retirement.

Now, he may never be an astronaut, but at least for today, he can pretend, while making others happy too, raining beads and toys and stuffed animals down on the large crowds who turned out for the best party of the year.

As the morning passes, he keeps a steady stream of beads and trinkets flowing, keeps his hips moving to the beat as both the riders and crowds dance to the music, and jokingly taunts the crowd with a few of the flashier throws. He’s about to toss a handful of beads into the crowd when someone catches his eye, singlehandedly diverting his attention from everyone else. There amongst a small group of people stands a woman dressed as a fighter pilot, the drab olive green of the costume and the goggles resting on her head doing nothing to diminish what he thinks is the most stunning woman he’s ever seen. She’s jokingly tussling for position with a man dressed as a stormtrooper and a woman dressed as a rose, and Poe’s just standing there speechless, his body suddenly stilled, as he wishes the float would slow down just a little.

He’s jostled by one of the riders next to him and suddenly the roar of the crowd comes rushing back into his ears, and he realizes he’s still holding a handful of beads mid-air. He tosses them randomly into the crowd as he goes to grab a large orange and white stuffed bear that he had been saving for the right moment, which he decides is right now.

He wishes he could ask her for her name, maybe even talk to her for a moment, but that’s a fool’s hope. It’s the middle of a parade during Mardi Gras and there’s no way she would be able to hear anything he said, not with the clamor and roar of the crowd around them.

Instead, he simply points at her and holds out the bear. The woman dressed as a rose notices first and elbows the fighter pilot in the side, clearly teasing her friend. The fighter pilot holds out her hands towards the float – towards him – and he tosses the bear over the rest of the crowd, holding his hands up in victory as she catches it. Quickly he tosses a few beads towards her friends, before going to the large flashy beads hanging around his own neck. These are the prizes, the ones the crowds always go crazy for, and he’s trying to pull them off so he can throw them to her before the float moves out of range.

Finally, he manages to get them off and toss them to her, and the smile she gives him at her prizes sticks with him even as the float turns the corner and she’s no longer in sight.

\--

In retrospect, he probably should’ve been more careful.

He’s digging through a pile of beads and trash and other debris in the float desperately searching for his mother’s ring. He had boarded the float this morning with it hanging around his neck beneath his costume. But when the parade had ended and they were about to disembark, his hand had gone to scratch along the nape of his neck, where sweat and beads and the collar of his costume had irritated his skin, and tried to place the weird feeling that had immediately sprung to his chest at the movement. Suddenly he realized that he couldn’t feel the chain of his necklace beneath his hand. A quick search of his costume, hoping that the chain had simply come undone and slipped down his clothing, proved fruitless.

Now, he and Snap and a few of the other riders were searching the float in hopes of turning up the necklace and its ring.

Once he’s done a full circuit of the float at least twice, and the other riders were coming up emptyhanded too, he sat down and rested his back along the side of the float, hanging his head between his knees.

Snap comes over and rests his hand on his shoulders in sympathy. “I’m sure it’ll turn up.”

“We’ve been over the float with a fine-toothed comb. It’s not here.”

“You never know, you could get lucky. Someone will find it, you’ll get it back.”

Poe looks up at Snap and shakes his head. “I appreciate you trying to buck me up here, but it’s probably gone for good. I probably tossed it into the crowd with some beads or something. It could be in somebody’s bag, or more likely it’s on the ground about to end up in the trash.”

A look crosses Snap’s face then, and he holds out his hand towards Poe to help him stand. “Don’t give up hope just yet. I’ve got a plan.”

\--

Less than twenty-fours hour later, as the locals were pulling themselves out of bed and heading to Ash Wednesday Mass, Snap quickly puts together a short Facebook post.

_LOST RING!_

_During the parade yesterday, my buddy Poe lost his mother’s wedding ring. It was attached to a silver chain around his neck, and possibly was thrown overboard along with some beads. The ring doesn’t really have any monetary value but has loads of sentimental value.  His mother passed away several years ago, and he’s worn the ring every day since, hoping to one day give it to the right partner._

_He’s broken up about it, and as his friend, so am I. So, I’m hoping that someone out there has seen it. If you were at the parade yesterday, please check your belongings, and if you have it, you will have the thanks of Poe (who’s really awesome, let’s help him out!), his entire parade krewe, and honestly, whatever reward you want. Wanna ride with us next year? Done. Want the coolest throws next year? Done. Want an all expense paid trip to a local Chinese buffet? Done._

_Pictures of Poe as he was dressed yesterday, the float we were on, and the necklace and ring are below. Contact me if you have any info and let’s help this dude out!_

Within hours, the post went viral, its pictures and plea being passed around until the local news finally picked it up, too.

Poe read it and, with fingers crossed, shared the post to his own page.

\--

Almost a full week had passed, and no one had come forward with the ring. Each time Poe checked in with Snap to see if anyone had responded to the post, Snap, his eyes sad, just shook his head and said, “Not yet. But don’t give up hope.”

Poe tried to follow his friend’s advice, but things looked bleak.

At least until that Tuesday afternoon following Mardi Gras, when Poe’s cell phone had rang, and he looked at it and saw Snap’s name illuminated on the caller ID.

“Yep?” He asked, too tired and sad to be any more enthusiastic in his greeting.

“Guess what, Poe,” Snap said almost gleefully, and Poe perked up, his heart suddenly hammering away in his chest. Before he could respond, Snap continued. “Someone just responded to the post, they even sent a picture of the ring to confirm. Her name is Rey Jakku, said she found it in her bag of beads from the parade.”

“Are you kidding me, Snap?” Poe breathed, shocked at the news.

“Not at all, Poe. This is it. Can you meet her in the French Quarter outside the police station? She can give it back to you there.”

“Yeah, yeah absolutely! Did she say when?”

“Can you do it tonight at six?”

“I’ll be there.”

Poe hung up, already counting down the hours till he could leave work and finally get his mother’s ring back.

\--

At 6:00 PM that evening, in the waning light of the day, Poe practically speed walks down the streets to meet up with the woman who had found his mother’s ring. _Rey Jakku_ , he remembers Snap saying, already so grateful to her for finding it and returning it to him.

He turns the corner and immediately stops, gobsmacked at the sight before him.

Poe doesn’t believe in fate, not really, but standing outside the police station is the beautiful fighter pilot from the parade route. Of all the times he had thrown beads at the parade, slipping the nicer ones from his neck to toss into the frenzied crowd, he had accidentally tossed the ring - his mother’s ring, the one he had been saving for the right person - to the woman who was brighter and more beautiful than anything he had ever seen.

He thought he’d never see her again, not when he was just one rider on a float amongst many, not when she was just one paradegoer amongst a crowd of thousands. But somehow his ring had found her and then she had found him.

Someone bumps into his shoulder, and he realizes he’s still standing in the middle of the sidewalk about fifty feet from her, while she looks about her, clearly waiting for someone.

He smooths down his hair and takes a deep breath.

He doesn’t believe in fate, not really.

But he thinks these next few moments just might change his life.

As he approaches, she turns and sees him, a smile gracing her face as she moves to meet him.

“Poe Dameron?” She asks and he nods, a little flustered at finally hearing her voice. “I’m Rey Jakku, I talked to your friend Snap earlier. I’m sorry I couldn’t get this back to you sooner. I’ve been out of town for work and when I got back, one of my friends mentioned seeing this post, and I remembered you and the float and then I looked through the things I caught that day and there it was.”

She reaches into her bag and then holds out her hand to him, and a moment later Poe was grasping the cool metal of his mother’s ring, slipping the chain around his neck until the ring was once more resting on his chest.

Swallowing around a lump in his throat, he looks at the woman before him, a sweet look on her face even as she watches him and what must be the thousand different emotions playing out on his face.

“Rey Jakku,” he says, watching as her smile becomes just a little brighter. “I can never thank you enough for this.”

“I’m just glad I was able to get it back to you. I read the post – I can only imagine what that ring must mean to you.”

“It means everything to me. Really, thank you so, so much. Is there anything you want? A reward or something? I think Snap mentioned food or if you want to ride in the parade next year or coffee or whatever you want.”

“I’ll admit I was intrigued by the offer of the Chinese buffet,” she says, wrinkling her nose a little in mirth and he can’t help but grin in response. “But I don’t need a reward.” She pauses, biting at her lip as she glances around. “Well, how about coffee? There’s a place around the corner.”

“It’d be my pleasure,” he says, smiling and gesturing for her to lead the way.

In a twist of fate, he had lost his most prized possession, one of the few things he has left of his mother, only to have it returned to him, by a woman who he had once thought lost in the crowd.

Maybe some things are just meant to be after all.

\--

Almost a year later, on another chilly, breezy Tuesday, crowds lined the streets, shouting and clamoring for beads once more.

And on a float about halfway into the parade, Poe Dameron once more stood amongst a group of his friends tossing beads and trinkets into that clamoring crowd.

But this year, to his left, stood Rey Jakku, celebrating right along with them. She was practically shining with joy as she threw beads into the crowd, shaking her hips and dancing right along with the rest of the paradegoers.

During one throw, the sunlight struck just right, illuminating a familiar silver ring that now rested on a finger on her left hand.

A year ago, it might have been Mardi Gras Day to some, and to everyone else it was just Tuesday, but for him, it was the day that led him to her.


End file.
